Excellence or Seduction, Part 1

I always want a Bible in close reach. This is not a bad idea since man lives “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). For example, I keep a Bible in the glove compartment of my car and one by my bedside. Sometimes before I go to sleep, I will open the Bible by my bedside and just glance in it. I try to light on one verse and read it just to seal the day with a word from God before I sleep. One night as I did this, I lighted upon this verse:

Proverbs 12:26 ¶The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.

Of course, this is a verse from the book of Proverbs, which is one of the Poetical books of the Bible. The Poetical books abound in the Hebrew poetic form known as parallelism, in which poetic rhythm is achieved by the repetition of ideas. In the case of this verse, this is an antithetical parallelism because the ideas are in contrast. The contrasting ideas in this verse are the ideas of excellence verses seduction.

"The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour." First of all, who are the righteous, especially considering that Romans 3:10 teaches that “there is none righteous, no not one”? Enter the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ! Our Lord Jesus came into this world to save God’s elect from their sins and to make them righteous before God.

Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Jesus Christ) shall many be made righteous.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Sinners are made righteous by the obedience and blood shedding of Jesus Christ. By their obedience to God’s commandments, the elect manifest that they are righteous. We do not become righteous by doing righteousness, as most believe. Rather, we do righteousness because we are righteous.

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

Now if you would know if you are one of the righteous, then do righteousness. And if you are one of the righteous, then you are more excellent than your neighbour.

Consider the definition of excellent.

Excellent - Of a person or thing: That excels or surpasses in any respect; preeminent, superior, supreme.

The saints (holy persons) that are in this earth are called “the excellent” in Psalm 16:3:

But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

Your neighbour may have more wealth, power, education, and fame in this world than you, but if you are righteous, you are superior to him in the eyes of God. And will you vastly surpass him in the Day of Judgment. The Psalmist had this to say concerning those who glory in their worldly riches:

Psalms 49:11 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. 12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. 13 This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah. 14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. 15 ¶But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. 16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; 17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. 20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

The honoured and esteemed of this earth, those who excelled according to men of this world, are compared by God to “the beasts that perish.” When the morning of that eternal day dawns, it is the righteous (the upright) who shall dominion over the great of this earth. Being the excellent, they shall excel in that day. This being the case, doesn’t it make sense to heed the words of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness:…

Would you be a more excellent person, a more excellent parent, a more excellent son or daughter, a more excellent student, a more excellent employer or employee, a more excellent neighbour? If you would truly excel, seek righteousness. Seek the right Bible. Practice the right faith. Go to the right church. React to stress, provocation, and offences in the right way. In short, do righteousness and so manifest that you are righteous. Then you will be truly excellent, yea, more excellent than your neighbour.

There is much to be said for the second half of our verse, but that will have to wait. I am like Elihu today in that “I am full of matter” (Job 32:18). Therefore, you may be receiving more meditations “from the pastor’s study.” God grant you all grace to excel.